Used to flavor pastis-type drinks, breads, cakes, curries and shellfish.

A favorite flavoring worldwide, used for soups, sauces, stews, curries and desserts.

A favorite flavoring for Indian dishes such as pilaus and biryanis as well as Persian recipes.

Used in cakes, sweets, puddings, curries and spicy casseroles.

A spicy "pepper", used to flavor savory dishes.

One of the world's most popular spices, chillies are used to flavor hot dishes from Mexico, India, Japan, Indonesia and Africa.

Cinnamon is a delicious fragrant flavoring for both sweets and savories.

In sweet dishes and drinks as well as with meat, sauces and curries.

Coriander is one of the staple spices for Indian curries and is also used extensively in Middle Eastern, and southern-European flavorings for meat, fish and vegetables.

One of the main spices for Indian curries. Also used in the Middle East and North Africa to flavor vegetables, fish, lamb and chicken.

The sweet, faintly aniseed flavor of fennel makes it perfect for fish, pork, soups and stocks.

Used in curries, and as a flavoring in confectionery.

Ginger is a favorite flavoring in Asian cooking, with meat, fish and vegetables. It is also used to flavor pickles, chutneys, cakes and biscuits(cookies).

Used for cooking game and red cabbage and, commercially, to flavor gin.

The delicate lemon flavoring, with a hint of ginger, is a favorite of Asian cuisine, being used with fish, chicken and vegetables.

Mace's subtle flavor is a perfect addition to sauces, desserts, white meats and fish dishes.

Mustard is the main ingredient for mustard relish, and mustard seeds are used whole in Indian dishes.

A delicious, mellow spice that can be used in drinks, sweets, puddings and savories.

Paprika is usually mild, though, depending on the variety, it can be hot, too. It is used in Hungarian goulash, vegetables, fish dishes and cream sauces.

Pepper enlivens almost all savory dishes and is a staple condiment.

Used to coat breads and in noodle dishes. Used in Indian pancakes.

About 40,000 stigmas are needed to make 1kg/2lb saffron, making this an extremely expensive spice, which lends a honey-like flavor and bright yellow coloring to many rice dishes in India, the Middle East and Mediterranean. In England, it is traditionally used in cakes and buns.

The main ingredient for tahini paste, a popular flavoring in the Middle East and the one that gives hummus its distinctive character. Sesame seeds are used in many Chinese, Japanese, Korea and Indian recipes, as part of the masala or spice paste, and in Britain to garnish breads.

This is a popular oriental spice, being one of the constituents of five-spice powder. In the west, it is sometimes used in pickles and relishes.

Most often presented as a bright yellow powder, turmeric is used extensively in India, the Middle East and North Africa for curries, sauces and rice dishes.

Vanilla is the classic flavoring for ice creams, cakes, desserts and confectionery, particularly in partnership with chocolate.

For Each Mat, You Will Need:

About 22 slim cinnamon sticks, about 7 inches long, Secateurs, Natural Raffia

1. Cut the cinnamon sticks to length, if necessary, using secateurs, and then arrange them on a flat surface, side by side. You may need to twist them so they lie together snugly, without large gaps. Fold a length of raffia in half and loop the fold over the top of the end cinnamon stick, ready to begin weaving.

2. Bring the lower piece of raffia up, and the upper piece down, and then slip the next cinnamon stick in-between the two pieces of raffia.

3. Repeat until all the sticks have been woven in. When you reach the last stick, tie the ends of the raffia.

4. Turn the mat around and tie the raffia at the other end of the cinnamon sticks.

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